Welfare Debit Card Bill has passed the Senate

AlanTudgeMP Welfare Debit Card Bill has passed the Senate. A watershed moment in how we deliver welfare.

Our politicians have again listened only to big business instead of the people they represent.

This is a sad day for small businesses, farmers markets, people hosting garage sales and the list goes on.

I have asked how those paying rent in cash will still be able to pay their rent. I am still waiting on an answer.

What is financial abuse?

Economic abuse includes behaviours that limit a person’s ability to acquire and use economic resources. Sound familiar?

The Healthy Welfare card is Economic abuse by our politicians.

This is how it will work:

Trial of cashless welfare arrangements:

Cashless welfare arrangements are to be trialled during the period beginning on 1 February 2016; ending on 30 June 2018.

The trial is to occur in up to 3 discrete trial areas.

The trial is to include no more than 10,000 trial participants.

Restrictable payment: in relation to a trial participant, means:
• a trigger payment; or
• a clean energy advance under the Family Assistance 11 Act;
• family tax benefit under the Family Assistance Act;
• family tax benefit advance under the Family Assistance 14 Administration Act;
• baby bonus under the Family Assistance Act;
• schoolkids bonus under the Family Assistance Act;
• stillborn baby payment under the Family Assistance 18 Act;
• carer allowance;
• carer supplement;
• child disability assistance;
• double orphan pension;
• income support bonus;
• mobility allowance;
• pensioner education supplement;
• a social security bereavement payment other than a social security bereavement payment in relation to an age pension
• a clean energy advance under the 1991 Act;
• an advance payment under Part 2.22 of the 1991 Act;
• an advance pharmaceutical allowance under Part 2.23 of 1 the 1991 Act; or
• a mobility allowance advance under section 1045 of the 3 1991 Act; or 4 (xx)
• quarterly energy supplement under the 1991 Act;
• telephone allowance under Part 2.25 of the 1991 Act;
• utilities allowance under Part 2.25A of the 1991 Act;
• a payment under the scheme known as the ABSTUDY 8 scheme that includes an amount identified as pensioner 9 education supplement;